With Nani and Young missing the Reds’ pre-season tour, Zaha has a chance to make early impression on Moyes

A window of opportunity has flung wide open for Wilfried Zaha. If ever there was a time for a young, exciting winger to join United it is now.

Old Trafford’s proud tradition for employing flankmen is part of the club’s very DNA, but not for a long while has the wing department been so open to a new arrival.

And newcomer Zaha, signed by Sir Alex Ferguson last January for £15m and then loaned back to Crystal Palace, will get his chance to shine on the pre-season tour to Asia.

The 20-year-old was on the plane to Thailand yesterday as United jetted out to began their three week pre-season tour despite having only joined up with the United squad on Monday.

“We will see how he goes and have a look,” said manager David Moyes. “This club has a great record of putting young players in the team. Hopefully Wilfried can be one of them.”

And Zaha couldn’t contain his excitement at taking his place in the champions’ star-studded dressing room.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, coming in and seeing all these players that I’ve watched over the years. But everyone seems all right so I’m settling in okay,” he said. “I’m speechless really. I just never thought I’d have the chance to play with Rooney and to

actually be sitting next to Giggs in the changing room. It’s just a dream.”

The dream can become fantasy if the player born in the Ivory Coast but who chose to play for England last year takes advantage of the cracks that have appeared in the Reds’ wing department.

Last season United’s wide men suffered a torrid time.

The club’s 2011-12 Player of the Year, Antonio Valencia, endured a miserable campaign with his form dipping.

Ashley Young’s efforts to kick-on in his second season at United, having joined from Aston Villa in the summer of 2011, were hampered by a knee complaint and his campaign ended early in April when he was sidelined with an ankle injury in the Old Trafford derby against City.

Nani’s future was in the melting pot all season long and remains so with Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, Roma and Juventus all said to be keen on signing the 26-year-old Portuguese star. His erratic form wasn’t helped either by hamstring trouble.

Nani has had a nose operation during the summer and like Young, who is also battling back from his injury, was not part of United’s 19-man squad that arrived today in Bangkok.

With Valencia also not travelling, it provides the perfect opportunity for Zaha to quickly catch Moyes’ eye.

United’s dip in the quality and consistency of their wing play last season convinced former boss Sir Alex Ferguson to invest £15m in the January transfer window for Zaha before loaning him back to his club Crystal Palace.

It was Zaha’s clever ability that helped Palace back to the Premier League via the

play-offs. Eagles boss Ian Holloway has already written off the possibility of asking if they could have him back on loan again this season and is convinced his former player can make the grade at Old Trafford.

“I think the boy is so exciting he’s going to have a chance at United and I can see him getting in their first team and I genuinely mean that,” said Holloway.

Former Reds winger Mickey Thomas thinks it is all falling into place for Zaha to make an instant impact at United.

“I have seen Zaha a few times and I am getting a little bit excited about him because he is a little bit different from the norm,” Thomas told M.E.N. Sport. “He has something extra in his locker. I had the same feeling when a young

Cristiano Ronaldo and a young Nani arrived at United.

“They all have something in their armoury that gives them an edge over other players. They have the tricks and the quality. The big question is always do they have the

consistency?

“Ronaldo obviously grew into a player who could give you world class performance week in, week out. He was consistent. But, to be brutally honest, Nani hasn’t reached that standard.

“He has the ability – there is no doubt about that – but doing it match after match hasn’t really happened for him.

“You don’t know what you get when you buy a young player. You don’t know if he will be able to produce more often than not. I hope Wilfried can do it on a game-to-game basis. There is no doubt there is a massive chance for him if he can take it and also if he can handle it.

“I was over-awed when I moved to Old Trafford from Wrexham but that has been identified these days and

players are helped through it more. He is at the biggest and best club in the world and they will help.

“It is also falling nicely into place for him in that Ryan Giggs has accepted a coaching role as well as being a player.

“Ryan, of course, will always help others even when he was just a player but now he has coaching duties to

perform as well, someone like Zaha should benefit from him having some more time to concentrate on coaching.

“What better an education could you wish for as a winger than to have Ryan Giggs there every day to help you along? It’s a dream for anybody."

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